Dream of Stars
by alwaysALOHA
Summary: Danielle lived on the streets for nearly two years. What happened? Where did she live? How did she survive? Who did she help? And what drove her to believe she was a burden? This is her story. Prequal to Must Be. FIXED!
1. The Artist

A/N: This story is set in the Must Be universe, but can be read separately. It is dedicated to dreamers, never give up on your dreams; follow them and they might just come true.

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom and all affiliated characters belong to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon, not me.

……Harmony Lane……

"Harmony Lane? Doesn't look very harmonic to me," twelve-year old Danielle Phantom observed as she landed in an alley and changed into her human form. Harmony Lane was a despondent area in Lower Masonville and was filled with abandoned warehouses. It sent a shiver down the ghost-girl's spine to see a place so lonely and desolate, but with nowhere else to go, she would have to call it home.

Nervously, the raven-haired girl crept down the street and through the alleys, looking for a door that was left unlocked, or a broken window. She could phase in, if she had to, but she didn't want to waste her strength; she was, after all, unstable.

Finally, her efforts were rewarded when a door nudged forward at her push. Wincing at the loud screeching the hinges made in protest when moved after being untouched for so long, the preteen edged in and closed the door behind her.

Taking a deep breath, Dani let her eyes adjust instead of tapping into her ghost powers, and saw a dark hallway, littered with boxes.

Danielle felt nervous, but she moved on, extremely tempted to transform; she always felt braver in her Phantom form.

"Who are you?" snapped a sharp voice, "what're you doin' in my house?"

"Th-this is a warehouse," the girl argued, shakily.

"Still a house!" the shaggy woman shot back, pulling out a knife.

Scared, Danielle did the only thing she could think of and ran, only to be cut off by the same woman.

"Whoa! You're fast!" the ghost-girl exclaimed, searching for a way out. Finding none, she did the last thing in the world that she wanted to do, and transformed.

The woman was so startled that she almost dropped her knife, but quickly regained her composure, "I'm not fallin' for any fancy tricks!"

"This isn't a trick. Now let me go!" Dani screamed. When the woman still held her knife up, she ignited her hands with green ectoplasm.

"What! What's that?" the woman yelled, scared of the green glow, then her eyes lowered and she stared.

When Danielle saw the woman's eyes widen, she followed them only to find that her feet were turning into ectoplasm.

"Ah!" she screamed, shutting her eyes and concentrating, letting the blast fade away as she reformed, and fainted from exhaustion.

Startled, the woman put away her knife and carried the kid down the hall and into a room that must have been an office at one point. Taking a rag, she wet it and dabbed the girl's forehead, neck, and wrists until the girl awoke, revealing baby blue eyes.

The kid jumped when she saw who was dabbing her forehead and scrambled back, only to fall off the desk. Surprised, she looked around, trying to get her bearings straight. All around her were beautiful sculptures, made of a variety of things that people would normally throw away, but there were also some that littered the ground, broken.

Danielle's eyes widened in realization, "You _made _those?"

The strange woman nodded in confirmation.

"I'm sorry I scared you. You must have thought I was another vandal coming to destroy your art," she apologized, realizing now that the woman had been just as scared as she was.

"_You're_ sorry? You've nothin' to be sorry for, I'm the one that threatened you with a knife and wouldn't let you go!" she finally spoke, though in a much gentler voice than before.

"Well, I guess I should get going," Dani mentioned, starting to move, but she was stopped by a gentle hand.

"Not," the woman said, "in your condition."

"Wha-?" Dani began, then looked embarrassed, "You saw that?"

The woman nodded, "What was it?"

"I'm…not normal," the girl confessed, looking away.

"Well, I saw _that, _Ghostey," the woman teased.

Danielle giggled, "I guess I need to be more careful about my identity. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

The woman, who was actually quite pretty despite her worn state, looked baffled, "Why would you want to hide such a unique part of _you?_"

Danielle was taken aback by how true the statement was, "Well, I don't _want _to hide who I am, I have to. People, well, people don't like ghosts."

"Well, I'm 'people', I like you," the pretty adult smiled, making the younger girl relax and transforming her features even more.

"It's not really people in general," Danielle explained, "that don't like me, it's ghost hunters and the government and people who just don't understand; I would never be able to lead a normal life."

"What's so great about normal?" the lady asked, playing with a pencil sharpener and a paper airplane made from newspaper.

"I don't know, not having people stare, I guess," Dani shrugged, she really wasn't sure about that, but she knew that she hated being stared at.

"It's more that people stare for the wrong reasons, isn't it? I mean, it's fun when they stare because they like you, but scary when they don't," the woman said, unexpectedly, still distracted as she stuck the tip of the paper into the sharpener.

"Yeah," the girl agreed, watching the woman's actions with interest. She was now tearing the paper until all that was left coming out of the plastic sharpener was a bunch of streamers. Next, she jammed the sharpener into the opening of an empty and battered pop can, "Wow, that's really cool."

"You think so?" she wondered aloud.

"Yeah. I've never seen anything like it," Dani returned amicably.

"Then it's yours!"

"What! But it's your art!" the girl exclaimed, startled by her generosity.

"I've got plenty of art, take it," the woman insisted kindly.

"Wow, thanks," she smiled, "I'm Danielle Phantom, by the way. Dani, with an 'i' for short."

She stuck out her hand, "Nice to meet you, Dani, I'm Denise Tiller."

Dani put down the gift and smiled as she shook her new friend's hand. It was nice to be accepted for who, and what, she was.

"Hey, maybe I can help you! You need someone to protect your art, and I need a place to stay," the girl offered.

Denise shook her head, her long black hair swaying behind her, "You're sick, you can stay, but-"

"I'll be fine, Denise, so long as I don't over-exert myself," Danielle stopped her.

"Well, then, I guess we have an agreement," Denise smiled, "Call me Tillie, though; I always thought Denise made me sound so stuffy."

"Alright, Tillie," Dani laughed, brushing some stray hair from her face. She was a little confused when a small smattering of dust fell in front of her eyes. Intrigued, she rubbed the strange powder between her finger tips. It was too course to be dust, yet too fine to be anything else. Brushing the thought, and the dust, away, Danielle started to pick up the junk littered on the floor and put it in a neat pile.

Danielle _hadn't_ realized, however, that her new friend had been watching her wearily to that point. _What is she going to do? She'll turn me in for sure- She's too good._

"You okay, Tillie?" the girl's voice interrupted her ponderings.

"What? Oh, yeah, just thinkin'," Tillie excused herself. In the next room, she ran her hands over her chocolate-colored face and pushed back her hair, trying to remember when addiction hadn't plagued her life. She couldn't.

In reality, Denise Tiller's downward spiral had started when she was at college to be an artist. Her boyfriend that she'd had since high school had broken up with her and her roommate had convinced her to go to a party over at the next dorm. It was a wild party, with loud music and alcohol. There, Tillie had met a boy, she couldn't even remember his name, who had made her feel special again. From there, everything was a haze.

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem kinda out of it," Dani worried.

"What? Of course, 'course," she responded, startled, "Let's get you set up."

As the weeks passed by, Danielle and Tillie managed a meager existence. Tillie worked on her sculptures and, when she could, earned a few dollars from doing odd-jobs nearby. Whenever she could, Danielle helped earn what little they needed for food or looked for different things that Tillie could transform.

Over that time, Tillie found that, instead of snorting cocaine in the evenings, she was talking. Instead of nosebleeds, she had a friend. Unfortunately, like with many friendships, Dani and Tillie had their fights, after which Tillie would return to her old habits, and Dani would fly off.

Dani cried as she thought of their most recent blowout. She had walked in on her friend putting a straw to the powder she'd discovered her first day, then breathing it in.

"_Tillie! What're you doing?" she yelled, coming in to find the adult red-handed, "Is that _cocaine?_"_

"_No! It's not, it's…it's…" she tried to come up with a suitable excuse frantically._

"_Don't _lie_ to me!" Dani shouted, hurt and already on the brink of tears. She sent a blast at the powder her friend had jumped away from._

"_Dani, no! I ne-"_

"_No, you _don't!_ Is this why you're on the streets?" the girl interrupted, transforming and running away._

Wiping at her nose, Danielle headed back to the warehouse, only to find it empty. She left to search for her.

"Tillie? Are you her? Denise!" she called, looking for her friend, "I hope she's alright."

Tired and worried, Dani went back to the place that had become her home and cried. She felt abandoned and lonely, just like the warehouse she slept in. _How could Tillie do this? I thought she was so cool. I thought I could count on her! ...I'm just a burden…_With that thought, her heavy eyelids finally shut and she was thrown into a fitful sleep.

The next day, Tillie had still not returned and Danielle had slept in late. Still, tired and hungry, she made her way to the soup kitchen for lunch. All the while, she kept a sharp eye out for Tillie, but to no avail: Denise Tiller was no where to be found.

_I'm beginning to think maybe Vlad wasn't so bad- No, Tillie loved me, she never tried to use me like Vlad did, _she thought, angry at herself for even letting it pass her mind. Vlad was evil and even _thinking _of going back to him would mean betraying Danny, and she couldn't do that. He had been the first person to genuinely care about her. _Then why did he let me leave? NO! Danny's not like that; he just couldn't explain me to his parents._

Hoping to keep her doubts at bay, Danielle began to tidy the small office where Tillie did her work. She worked for over an hour until she found something intact. She actually remembered the day her friend had made it. Dani had been drawing on an old newspaper while Tillie had molded several cans into the shape of a worn blooming rose, sticking a faded American flag in its center. When finished, however, Tillie had thrown it down, calling it trash and ugly. In the twelve-year old's mind, however, it was beautiful.

"I guess I'd better throw it away," Dani spoke sadly. Carefully, so as not to drop it or break the art Tillie had been happy with, she made her way out through the hall where she had first met the artist and to the alley where the dumpster was.

Before she could put the piece to rest, however, a voice stopped her.

"How much is that?" a man queried. He was around Tillie's age (mid-thirties), wearing a nice business suit and carrying a briefcase.

"How much is what?" asked Danielle, dumbly. She really didn't know what he was talking about.

"That sculpture," he clarified, "You know what? Never mind, I'll give you five hundred bucks for it; it's exactly what I need at my office. Simple, but meaningful."

Stunned, the girl was very appreciative, "Wow! That's really generous."

Once they had finished the transaction, the man wanted to know her name. She gave him the name he wanted to hear, the artist's name. The tin rose would be perfect for the gallery where he worked.

Shocked by her good luck, Dani went inside.

_This money doesn't belong to me, _she thought,_ and it's not enough to support two, but Tillie might be able to turn her life around. I can handle myself for awhile. _

Grabbing a stubby pencil and a crinkled piece of notebook paper some kid had thrown away last week, she scrawled out a short note for when her friend returned, as she always did, and left with only her pop-can sculpture.

Hearing footsteps as she came out, Danielle turned invisible and watched as Tillie returned home. She would miss her, and this place, _so much,_ but things needed to change.

Once Tillie was inside, she whispered, "Bye, Tillie. And good luck." After that, she went on her way.

Moments later, Tillie ran out screaming her name and looking for the young girl who had changed her life so much. Thinking back over the two months that she'd been there, Tillie began to realize that there had been days when she had ignored her drug, forgotten that feeling of dependency. Denise Tiller finally understood that she could live without cocaine.

"Thank you," she whispered, hugging the cash and the note that said:

Dear Tillie,

I know that addiction is hard to fight, but so long as you try, you're winning. These last two months have been great. If you're wondering where the $500 came from, it's from that rose sculpture you hated so much. I was cleaning up and was about to throw it away when a man stopped me and offered me the money. I sold it. This is what he said: "Well, keep at it, Denise, you're gonna be a great artist someday." It's enough for you to get a cheap apartment and some new clothes, but not if you have me around. I will miss you so much, but I wish you the best of luck.

Love, Dani

……………

A/N: First off, don't ever give money to a drug addict; they'll more than likely use it to buy more drugs instead of put their lives back together; I just did this because I'm a sucker for happy endings. Other than that, what did you think of Tillie? Did you like how she seemed to change? And what about Dani's decision to leave? Will Tillie do what the note suggested? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!

P.S. You're not going to get any update on Tillie, I just want your opinion.


	2. The Brothers

A/N: Welcome back to Dream of Stars

Disclaimed.

……Alley……

"Alright Aaron, you've had your fun, now let her go!" Kevin ordered, his eyes ablaze as he ran back into the alley. Aaron had tried to hurt his brother for the last time.

"You seem to be forgetting your place, _Kevin,_" the pack leader snarled, tightening his grip on the girl he'd taken by surprise; she was struggling pretty hard for someone so small, "Your brother forgot his place, too, and as soon as I'm finished with this little trouble-maker, he's gonna pay for it."

Danielle fought even harder against the older boy's strong grip as the two argued. She didn't dare use her powers after all that fighting, but that didn't keep her from trying to escape; she _was_ her so-called "cousin's" relative after all. She tuned in to the conversation.

"Don't you _dare_ threaten my brother, Aaron!" the boy who was trying to help her hissed. Danielle stopped struggling to look around for something, _anything_, that could help.

"Maybe I need to remind you of a few things, Kev," Aaron glared. Brian peeked around the corner, afraid.

"Yeah, well, maybe I quit your stupid gang, Air," Kevin glared back. Kevin and Aaron had lived in the same apartment complex when they were younger. Back then, Kevin had steered clear of Aaron, sensing he was dangerous. He avoided him, that is, until his father split, and then dangerous was good.

"What makes you think you can just _quit?_" Aaron challenged, practically tossing his hostage to one of his goons as the boys began to circle each other.

"Big. Mistake," he heard, though it wasn't from his opponent, but the little girl _in the sky!_

"What the-!" Aaron stumbled, looking up at her.

Her eyes were blazing and her hair seemed to float in a spectral breeze as she ignited her hands in what looked to be emerald fire. She spoke only one word: "Run."

Danielle struck an imposing figure, but as soon as the gang had run off, she drifted down, struggling to keep her form as she collapsed from exhaustion, right into the black-clad Brian's arms.

"Ohh," she moaned.

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked, coming closer; Brian was too stunned to do anything.

"I will be, thanks," she looked up at the two boys as Brian lowered her to her knees.

"Are you sure?" Brian spoke up, but blushed when she smiled.

"Yeah, this isn't as bad as last time. I just need to rest," she explained, "Are there any shelters nearby?"

"None that you'd wanna go to, but there is an old house nobody's been in for years," Kevin offered, "It's not in the best of shape, but it's still standing. Look, who _are_ you? You saved our butts and we don't even know your name."

"Oh, right," she laughed, nervously, "I'm Danielle Phantom. And, as for helping you, I hate it when people are like that; I just wanted to help."

The three new friends walked off towards the house, not noticing the strange beetle watching from the alley wall.

……Amity Park……

"So," a sinister voice pondered aloud, "Little Danielle has made some new friends."

Vlad smirked as he realized that if he could catch her, he may be able to make a _stable_ clone. His grin widened when he began to think of how to do it. He wanted revenge on the little brat.

……4682 Hawthorne Street……

"This is it?" Danielle inquired, pointing at the beautiful, if run down, Victorian. The boys nodded, Brian shifting his feet uneasily, "What's wrong?"

"It's haunted," Brian told her, but before she could respond, his brother interrupted.

"Not this _again_! I told you, ghosts don't exist," Kevin argued.

Dani giggled, "Sure they do."

"Hey! Don't make fun of my little brother," he accused. The girl just laughed harder as she walked right _through_ the _locked _front door.

Danielle couldn't help but laugh; it wasn't _that_ far from Amity Park, surely they'd heard stories.

Once she'd gotten control of her giggle-fit, the ghost-girl went back out to her stunned friends, "Not all ghosts are evil, Brian, some of us are actually good."

……………

A/N: What did you think of Kevin confronting Aaron? Were you surprised that Brian was the one to catch Danielle? How long before D-Stabilized? And what about how Danielle showed she was a ghost? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	3. Soon to be Haunted

A/N: Welcome back to Dream of Stars

Disclaimed.

……Alley……

"Alright Aaron, you've had your fun, now let her go!" Kevin ordered, his eyes ablaze as he ran back into the alley. Aaron had tried to hurt his brother for the last time.

"You seem to be forgetting your place, _Kevin,_" the pack leader snarled, tightening his grip on the girl he'd taken by surprise; she was struggling pretty hard for someone so small, "Your brother forgot his place, too, and as soon as I'm finished with this little trouble-maker, he's gonna pay for it."

Danielle fought even harder against the older boy's strong grip as the two argued. She didn't dare use her powers after all that fighting, but that didn't keep her from trying to escape; she _was_ her so-called "cousin's" relative after all. She tuned in to the conversation.

"Don't you _dare_ threaten my brother, Aaron!" the boy who was trying to help her hissed. Danielle stopped struggling to look around for something, _anything_, that could help.

"Maybe I need to remind you of a few things, Kev," Aaron glared. Brian peeked around the corner, afraid.

"Yeah, well, maybe I quit your stupid gang, Air," Kevin glared back. Kevin and Aaron had lived in the same apartment complex when they were younger. Back then, Kevin had steered clear of Aaron, sensing he was dangerous. He avoided him, that is, until his father split, and then dangerous was good.

"What makes you think you can just _quit?_" Aaron challenged, practically tossing his hostage to one of his goons as the boys began to circle each other.

"Big. Mistake," he heard, though it wasn't from his opponent, but the little girl _in the sky!_

"What the-!" Aaron stumbled, looking up at her.

Her eyes were blazing and her hair seemed to float in a spectral breeze as she ignited her hands in what looked to be emerald fire. She spoke only one word: "Run."

Danielle struck an imposing figure, but as soon as the gang had run off, she drifted down, struggling to keep her form as she collapsed from exhaustion, right into the black-clad Brian's arms.

"Ohh," she moaned.

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked, coming closer; Brian was too stunned to do anything.

"I will be, thanks," she looked up at the two boys as Brian lowered her to her knees.

"Are you sure?" Brian spoke up, but blushed when she smiled.

"Yeah, this isn't as bad as last time. I just need to rest," she explained, "Are there any shelters nearby?"

"None that you'd wanna go to, but there is an old house nobody's been in for years," Kevin offered, "It's not in the best of shape, but it's still standing. Look, who _are_ you? You saved our butts and we don't even know your name."

"Oh, right," she laughed, nervously, "I'm Danielle Phantom. And, as for helping you, I hate it when people are like that; I just wanted to help."

The three new friends walked off towards the house, not noticing the strange beetle watching from the alley wall.

……Amity Park……

"So," a sinister voice pondered aloud, "Little Danielle has made some new friends."

Vlad smirked as he realized that if he could catch her, he may be able to make a _stable_ clone. His grin widened when he began to think of how to do it. He wanted revenge on the little brat.

……4682 Hawthorne Street……

"This is it?" Danielle inquired, pointing at the beautiful, if run down, Victorian. The boys nodded, Brian shifting his feet uneasily, "What's wrong?"

"It's haunted," Brian told her, but before she could respond, his brother interrupted.

"Not this _again_! I told you, ghosts don't exist," Kevin argued.

Dani giggled, "Sure they do."

"Hey! Don't make fun of my little brother," he accused. The girl just laughed harder as she walked right _through_ the _locked _front door.

Danielle couldn't help but laugh; it wasn't _that_ far from Amity Park, surely they'd heard stories.

Once she'd gotten control of her giggle-fit, the ghost-girl went back out to her stunned friends, "Not all ghosts are evil, Brian, some of us are actually good."

……………

A/N: What did you think of Kevin confronting Aaron? Were you surprised that Brian was the one to catch Danielle? How long before D-Stabilized? And what about how Danielle showed she was a ghost? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	4. HunteDStabilized

A/N: This story is getting pretty fast. Don't let me slow you down.

Disclaimed.

……Trile City……

A young boy, around twelve years old, looked around cautiously. At first, Aaron had left them alone for fear of the ghost girl that had protected them those two weeks earlier, but that immunity had just expired. He hadn't known it at first, but when a boy looking very much like him arrived at school beaten to a pulp, the message was clear: _Aaron was going to get his revenge._

Brian looked around again before turning onto Hawthorne Street, where Dani "lived." He was going to visit before heading home, but he wouldn't tell her anything about the unspoken threat; she had her own problems to worry about…

……4682 Hawthorne Street……

Danielle coughed deeply, each one bringing more pain to her already sore throat. She suspected that her already unstable condition had left her vulnerable to the strep that had taken over only a few days ago, but there was nothing she could do. Thankfully, though, the infection was almost gone.

There was a quick knock on the door signaling that Brian had come for a visit. Getting up, she transformed, enjoying the cool rings going over her sore throat.

"Coming," she croaked, opening the door only a little; she didn't want him to get sick, too.

"Still sick?" the sandy-blonde-haired boy asked. She nodded, "I brought you some cough drops."

She smiled, "Thanks."

Just as Brian handed the bag to his friend, a voice behind him made him freeze, "So, _this _is where you've been sneaking off to after _school,_" the voice spat the word like it was poison, "I gotta hand it to ya, you had my boys runnin' for a loop, but you couldn't fool me. And it looks like your little girlfriend's too sick to do anything about it."

Aaron moved forward, smirking triumphantly.

"I wouldn't say that, seeing as how the dead can't be weakened by a sore throat," she said. It was partly true…if she was stable, "Brian, run! Go to the police; I'll hold him off."

"You're not goin' anywhere, Rat," Aaron snarled, moving dangerously toward the boy, "I'm not fallin' for any dumb tricks."

"Who said anything about tricks? I don't think you got a good look at my insignia last time. Look familiar?" she questioned him, her voice cracking. She hoped that he'd heard of her cousin and that his reputation would back her up.

"Should I?" he sneered, though he looked a little unsure for the first time. An insignia implied that she was a hero.

"If you'd heard of Amity Park, it would. My cousin is the town hero, Danny Phantom," she smirked, sensing his unease, "And, I gotta say, I take after him."

"I'm not afraid of you," Aaron boasted, though that couldn't be farther from the truth.

"Leave my friends _alone!_" she ordered, glaring at him with bright, glowing green eyes while igniting her hand.

The bully steeled himself for the attack, but it never came and she was gone; Brian had returned with the police in tow.

"Alright, kid, you're under arrest for gang-related activity," the officer continued to read him his Miranda rights as she cuffed him.

In a last, desperate attempt to bring the other two down with him, Aaron yelled, "There's a girl in that house!"

The officer gave him a suspicious look, but after depositing him in the nearby squad car, went to investigate.

She first knocked on the door, hoping that if there was a girl, she would come out. Then, she tried the knob; it was locked. The next thing she did was search for other ways the girl could have gotten in and looked through the dirty window. There was no one and nothing looked tampered with.

"Nice try," she smirked, annoyed at the time she'd wasted.

"Ask _him!_ He was handing her cough drops!" the gang leader shouted. She narrowed her eyes, _Why was she even _listening_ to this punk?_

"Well?" she turned to the younger boy, not really expecting anything.

"There was no one," he claimed.

"Oh, like he's gonna tell the truth!" Aaron spat.

The officer scowled, she hated these situations, "Are you sure? If there is a girl, and she is sick, we could help her."

Brian bit his lip, indecision and worry creeping up on him. Danielle had _said_ she was fine, but…

"Well?" the officer prompted, recognizing his hesitation.

Bright green eyes widened from behind the window; she _had_ to do something.

Brian shifted uncomfortably on the step. _I _can't _betray her, but if she's sick…_

"Wait!" the officer and her charge jumped at the voice behind them.

Officer Devalva turned to see an astonishing sight; a young girl with bright white hair and a black and silver costume was walking _through_ the door. More surprising than this act, however, were her eyes, which glowed an unearthly neon green.

"He was just being a good friend," the girl continued, her voice echoing.

"Who are you?" the adult found herself asking.

"I'm…Danielle Phantom," she answered, looking away. She found herself staring at a rather large bug on the railing. _What is it about that but that is so familiar? _

"She's a ghost," Brian mumbled.

"What would a ghost need with cough drops?" Jessie Devalva asked the girl.

Dani slowly tore her gaze from the strange beetle, but returned it as she responded, "It helps with my cough."

Her brows furrowed as she watched the beetle turn to face her, wondering why it looked so familiar and then…_no…_

Stumbling backward, she barely heard Brian cry out her name in shock. She blasted it and flew. She hardly knew where she was going; all she knew was that she had to get _away._

Later that night, Brian returned to 4682 Hawthorne in the hope that she had returned. When she didn't answer his knock, he picked the lock and went inside. To his disappointment, it was empty.

He was startled by a loud clatter and looked down; his foot had knocked over an old pop can…no wait, it was a sculpture with an old sharpener and shreds of newspaper flapping around at the top. He recognized the small piece of art; Danielle had shown it to him once.

_If this is still here, _he thought, _then whatever it was that she saw must have really scared her…Maybe she'll come back…_He kept it.

Miles away, Danielle lay in a box in an alley near a grocery store. She had flown for hours, afraid that Vlad would find her again, until finally her body couldn't take the exertion and she'd found a safe haven in Elmerton.

_Danny,_ she thought as she drifted to sleep, _I've got to find Danny…He's the only one who can help me…_

……………

A/N: What did you think about Dani being sick? Did it make sense that Aaron wouldn't give up so easily? Does it lead into _D-Stabilized_ well enough? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	5. The Nightmares

A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter begins _after _the events of _D-Stabilized _so Dani is now stable.

Disclaimed.

…... Minor City Homeless Shelter……

"Ahh!" Danielle screamed, bolting upright in her bunk, covered in sweat. She lay back down with a thump, just in time to avoid the variety of items that had been thrown at her as punishment for waking everyone… for the fourth night in a row. Ever since Vlad had tried to melt her down a month before, she had had nightmares of him finding her in the night, torturing her, killing her in various and painful ways.

She was scared.

She rolled over, trying to get back to sleep. She closed her eyes, hoping that tonight would be different and she could get back to sleep, but it wasn't. Instead, her thoughts centered upon one face…one hope, Danny.

Angrily, she wiped at her tears, _No, I don't need help; I can do this alone! _

She switched to her other side.

_He would want to know…to help. _

She quickly shook herself of the thought, _No, I can handle this! _

_He loves me though, maybe I could be a part of his family… _she hoped, feebly, before dashing away the thought herself, _I would just be another burden. Besides, how would he explain me to his parents? _

All night, Danielle tossed and turned in her bunk trying to get comfortable, but all she could think about was how she didn't have a family and probably never would.

……

"Watch where you're going, crybaby," the other girl sneered, pushing past Danielle even though there was plenty of room in the all.

Dani sighed, she'd have to move again soon if the nightmares kept up. Until then, she'd have to tolerate the abuse from the other girls in her room.

_How does Danny do it? _she joked inwardly, _Putting up with Dash _can't_ be easy. _

She regretted bringing up her so-called cousin's name because now, all she could think about was him and Tillie and Brian and Valerie, the only people who'd ever cared for her. She wiped away a tear as she lamented losing Tillie's gift when she'd run from Hawthorne Street in fear.

"Stupid Vlad," she muttered, blaming him for all her pain. That night, the nightmares returned clear and frightening in detail. She had to move.

……

"Ms. Fenton, please, come here," the shelter counselor requested. Danielle sighed tiredly, but complied.

_Why didn't I just make up a name? I'm not a part of his family, of _any _family…_

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" she told her, "I'll be out of your hair before tonight anyway."

"No, it's not 'okay,' Ms. Fenton. I want to help you, but I can't do that unless you tell me what's going on!" the counselor insisted.

"Call me Danielle. Besides, I don't need help; they're just nightmares," she lied.

"_Just _nightmares, Danielle?" the woman shook her head, "I don't believe that; those nightmares came from something real. Why won't you let me help you?"

The ghost-girl blew her bangs from her eyes and decided to tell a small portion of the truth.

"Because I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt for helping me," she answered.

Alarmed, the counselor stood, "If this has to do with gangs, we can-"

A lump made itself known in Dani's throat as she thought of Brian and Kevin, but she pushed it down, "It's not gangs."

"Then what-?" she began, but Danielle interrupted.

"I already said I don't want to talk about it. Can I go?" Dani asked, frustrated. She understood that the woman just wanted to help, but she couldn't do anything.

The counselor sighed, seemingly admitting defeat for the day, "I called you in here because someone's been looking for you."

Danielle jumped to her feet, staying in the air just a second longer that normal before landing in a defensive stance, looking around as though expecting to see her searcher ready to attack.

"He's not here," the older woman assayed the girl's fears, "He said he's your brother, Danny Fenton."

Danielle didn't let down her guard, still fearing that it was Vlad using his name…then what the counselor said started to register in her sleep-deprived brain, _"He said he's your brother…"_

"He-he said he's my brother?" she whispered, shocked, but deeply touched. She couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. She repeated it, just to hear it, "He said he's my brother."

"Yes," the counselor smiled, relieved, "And, from what I've heard, he's been looking for you for almost a month."

_He's been trying to find me,_ she pondered, comforted by the thought, _But if he finds me…_

"No," she spoke, sad that it had to be this way, "I can't let him find me."

"What?" the counselor was shocked.

"He's already got too much on his shoulders…I can't let him find me," Danielle looked into the counselor's eyes with resolution.

"Danielle..."

"I'm sorry," the troubled teen said, leaving.

……………

A/N: What did you think of Danielle's turmoil? Did the counselor's persistence fit? How did you feel about Danny trying to find her and her reaction to that? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	6. The Runaway

A/N: Looks like Danielle's on the run again. There will be some Danny in this chapter, if that's what you were waiting for.

Disclaimed.

……Bayer Homeless Shelter, one week later……

The Bayer Homeless Shelter was hardly a place a teenaged girl would want to end up, yet here she was, sweeping the floors to earn her room and board. Her shoulders slumped, Amy decided to take a short break from her chore and leaned against the wall.

The generic door of the shelter creaked open as a new arrival stepped in. She was about Amy's age (14) with long, raven-black hair, half-lidded eyes and hand-me-down clothes.

"Where do I check in?" she inquired; Amy pointed the way.

……

"So, new girl, what's your story?" Amy asked when the girl returned.

"I'm Danielle," she evaded the question. Here, her name would be Danielle Ruther to make it more difficult for Danny to find her.

Amy raised an eyebrow, recognizing that Danielle, like many of the kids at Bayer, didn't want to talk about it, so she left it alone, "Amy Calin."

"It's nice to meet you," Danielle smiled, "What's it like here?"

Amy shrugged, "It's alright, I guess. The food's edible and the beds aren't too bad."

"That's good; the last place I was at had wobbly bunk beds," the raven-haired girl laughed.

"How long have you…?" Amy trailed off awkwardly.

Danielle looked up, "My whole life."

"Oh," Amy blushed, remembering her warm bed and home.

"It's not like I know anything different," Dani shrugged, "Please don't feel weird."

"What about your family? Where are they?" Amy questioned, bravely.

Danielle bit her lip, "I don't have a family. The only bedroom that was mine…" she shook her head, "it may as well have been a prison; I was a tool to get to someone else."

"That's terrible," her new friend sympathized.

"It wasn't so bad, back then," she admitted, not only to her friend, but to herself, "I was treated like a princess until I was sent on my mission. I-Danny-I was supposed to get to him-and-and that's all."

Amy stood there, surprised at the outburst, but didn't press for more. Danielle looked away, worried for a moment that she'd said too much.

_Why can't my life be simple? _

……Minor City Homeless Shelter……

"She was _here,_" Danny expressed, looking at the photographic record the shelter kept with a troubled expression. _A homeless shelter? Where else does she sleep? _The thought worried him.

"I thought she was the one you described," the counselor started, "Mr. Fenton, why did you say you were her brother?"

The blue-eyed boy in front of her rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, "Because, that's how I see here and…I don't know. I guess I thought that if I found her, she and I could explain things to my parents and maybe they'd adopt her. If I'd just started sooner..."

The woman looked at the boy curiously. She'd never met someone so serious, and she'd certainly never met a more responsible teen.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep her from leaving and that I don't know where she went," she felt compelled to tell him.

He chuckled a little, "Yeah, well, if I know Danielle, you wouldn't've been able to stop her if you tried."

"Probably not; she's smart," she agreed.

Danny looked down at his watch and sighed, "Listen, I gotta get home before my parents realize I'm gone. Please call if you find anything."

"Of course," she nodded as he headed for the door, "Mr. Fenton? Just-Danielle was having terrible nightmares while she was here; do you know…why?"

Danny looked pained, "…Yeah."

……Bayer Homeless Shelter, three days later……

Danielle awoke with a start, breathing as heavily as if she'd been running for miles.

_At least _this_ time, I'm not screaming…_she thought sleepily.

"Is this why you're always tired?" Amy questioned from her bed. Bayer Shelter was small, so there were only two to a room.

Dani slumped, "Yeah."]

"Was it about, well…?" Amy stopped talking, but her friend got the gist and nodded.

"It used to be every night and usually I woke up screaming," she explained. Amy nodded before drifting back to sleep.

Danielle lay back on her bed wide awake, _It was every night until I left Minor City…no, it was sooner. It stopped being every night when that lady told me Danny said he was my brother…_

"Looks like you saved me again, bro," she whispered into the small room. Smiling, Dani rolled over and went back to sleep.

……the next morning……

"I'm sorry I woke you last night," Dani yawned over breakfast.

"It's fine," Amy assured her, but the other girl wasn't listening. Instead, she was watching the approaching resident counselor.

"Amy Calin?" he inquired, breaking the spell.

Amy looked up slowly, giving the impression of a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Come with me, please," he requested. She looked up at Danielle pleadingly before finally following the man.

……

"Amy! You're okay!" her mom exclaimed when she entered the office. The girl refused to meet her eyes. Mrs. Calin looked down despondently.

"Why won't you come home?" she asked quietly.

"I'm not moving! I'm _not _leaving my friends!" she argued.

"Moving to another city doesn't mean leaving your friends," Mrs. Calin looked sadly at her daughter, urging her to understand.

……outside

Danielle gasped at what she'd just overheard with her enhanced hearing.

_She _has _to go back to her family! _she thought as she transformed in the alley and took off.

……later

"Where've you been?" Amy questioned as Dani came into their dorm.

"Out," was the clipped response, "I needed to relax."

"Oh," she said, perplexed at her friend's behavior.

"You ran away because you were going to _move?_" Danielle exploded in a whisper.

Amy's eyes widened, "You heard that?"

"I couldn't help it!" she defended herself, then quieted, "I think it's time you heard my story, but you have to _promise _you won't tell anyone any of it."

Amy gulped, but promised.

……Two hours later……

Danielle Phantom stood before her friend with her hair as white as snow and eyes glowing with an unearthly light.

"Do you understand now?" she demanded, blinking away her tears; she'd never told the whole story before…not even to Tillie.

"Danielle, I-How did you survive that?" Amy stuttered. Danielle transformed and sat down next to her.

"I'm not…really sure. I guess…I guess I just did it because I had to…I didn't really think about…how," the ghost-girl answered, haltingly, "Do you know what I'd give for your reason to be here?"

Amy looked down, "I guess I was being over-dramatic, but I'm gonna miss them so much."

"If they're good friends, you'll see them again," Danielle told her, "Besides, don't you think you'd miss your family more?"

"I guess I never really thought of that," the runaway admitted. There was a short silence, "What are you going to do?"

"Probably find someplace else; the same thing I've been doing, I guess," Dani pondered, "I just can't let Danny find me."

"Why not? He cares about you, doesn't he? He'll probably worry about you," Amy questioned, confused.

"It's just…better this way."

……………

A/N: So, what did you think of Amy? Did their meeting seem awkward enough? Did you like how Danny just missed Danielle at the Minor City shelter? And what about Amy's story? Tell me in a review, please, and as alwaysALOHA!


	7. The Student and the Signs

A/N: Welcome back to Dream of Stars!

Disclaimed.

……Pinestar Grove, October 31……

"Trick-or-Treat!" the teen girl grinned. She was dressed as a girl-version of Danny Phantom; the only things missing were the eye color and the supernatural glow. She laughed as she ran off with her treasure.

It had been easy for Danielle to leave her eyes blue and suppress her glow so she could go trick-or-treating. She flew off to the forgotten tree-house that had become her home over the past week, turned back into herself, and dug in.

It felt good just to have fun, something she rarely got to do. What made this Halloween better was that there was a small middle school nearby with a lot of windows where she could learn secretly.

After she'd eaten her fill, she unrolled the old sleeping bag she'd bought using money she'd earned doing odd jobs for people, found the most comfortable position she could, and went to sleep.

…….Morning

Danielle smirked as she flew invisibly to the school thinking, _I'd love to see Danny's face if he ever found out I was forcing myself out of bed for school when I had the choice to sleep in!_

Arriving near the relatively small brick building, she transformed, and hid under the first window. She grimaced, _Math, go figure. _Despite her dislike of the subject, the ghost-girl listened intently, eager to learn.

Every day, Danielle returned to the school and moved from window to window to learn the different subject and she was delighted to discover that she understood most of the classes.

One day, however, she forgot to stay invisible and was seen. Luckily, though, it was a student and not a teacher.

The boy, with shaggy blonde hair, saw her and when the teacher left to talk to another teacher, spoke quietly to her.

"Hey!" he called, "Did you get locked out or somethin'?"

The girl jumped at the voice directed to her.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell Ms. Johnson," he assured her; she seemed relieved, "but, who are you? I don't think I've ever seen you in class."

Sure that this boy would not make trouble for her, she answered, "That's because I'm not. I'm Danielle."

"I'm Nathan," he introduced himself, "If you're not in this class than why are you…?"

"Your teacher's coming back!" she warned, then ducked. A little baffled by the girl's evasion, Nathan sat back down.

"Nathan was talking to someone outside!" the class tattler told the teacher. The blonde tensed, but when the teacher looked out the window, there was no one.

Nathan shook his head, grinning, and wondering how the girl had done it, _Must be some kind of magician._

……

Danielle returned the next day, but Nathan didn't get a chance to talk to her until after class.

"How did you know she was coming back yesterday?" he asked, excitedly.

"It just seemed like she'd been gone awhile," she shrugged.

He smiled, "Will you meet me after school?"

Danielle bit her lip, but nodded.

……later……

"So, you _can't _go to school," he said, making sure he understood.

"No, I can't, and it really stinks," the girl sulked.

"Well, why don't you go to social services?" he suggested. When she didn't seem to get it, he clarified, "They find homes for kids."

"Oh," she thought she understood, "My luck, I'd end up right where I started."

"Why would that be bad?" he inquired, wanting to understand her.

"Because, one of the two places they'd send me would be dangerous, and the other…I just can't face him," she told him, vaguely.

"Who's he?" Nathan asked.

Danielle stood up, "I have to go."

The boy flinched, "I'm sorry; I shouldn't've asked."

She softened at the apology, "He's just got a lot on his shoulders; he doesn't need me to add another burden."

"You're not a…" he started, shocked, but stopped at her glare. He had the sneaking suspicion that only one person could tell her that and only _she _knew his name. He sighed.

……Amity Park……

Danny groaned as he closed his cell phone and slumped forward.

"Not at that one, either, huh?" Tucker assumed.

"No," he admitted, "She _was_ there…a couple months ago; they haven't seen her since. She's not at _any _of the shelters."

"You mean, any of the shelters you've checked," Sam encouraged.

"No, I mean, she's not at a shelter," he denied, "I can't shake this feeling that she's living in some…abandoned tree-house or…something."

Sam blinked, "That was oddly specific; do you think it's a new power?"

Danny frowned, "I guess it could be…but it doesn't really feel like my other powers."

"You might have some kind of like to her," Tucker suggested, "I mean, she _is_ your clone."

"I suppose…"

……………

A/N: Don't you just _love _those cliffhangers? I do! What do you think of Danielle's need to learn? Do you like Nathan? And what about Danny knowing where she is? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	8. The Grandfather

A/N: I like how this is going. Please review.

Disclaimed.

……Needle Avenue, Pinestar Grove……

"Thanks," Danielle blushed. She and Nathan were walking to his house for dinner and he had put his coat around her shoulders, "for everything."

"Dani, you're my friend," he told her, "Of course I'd invite you over."

The girl blushed even more, grateful that the cold disguised it; winter had come early.

"So, I gotta warn ya, my dad's a military freak. He wants us all to join the army, or, at least, the government someday," Nathan told her.

"It can't be _that_ bad," she teased.

"Yeah, it is,_ trust _me," he made a face, she laughed. He got a glint in his eye, "So, what's his name?"

Dani shook her head, laughing; she knew he was teasing because he asked everyday. Today, however, she decided to throw him for a loop, "Danny."

She grinned when he stopped in shock, but kept walking. He jogged to catch up.

"His name's Danny? Really?" he gawked at her.

She nodded, but changed the subject, "So, why don't you want to join the military like your dad wants?"

"Because, to his utter disappointment, I'm a pacifist," Nathan shook his head ruefully, "I'm trying to figure out how to make him proud and not hurt people."

His friend pondered this a moment, "I heard Danny mention some government group in passing…I think it was the Guys in White."

"The 'Guys in White'?" he asked, incredulously.

Danielle laughed, "Yeah, well, I don't know much about them, just that they're ghost hunters."

"Ghost hunters? Oh, you're just messin' with me!" he joked.

"No, in Am-I mean, where Danny lives, ghost attacks are pretty common," she told him, honestly.

……after dinner……

"Thanks for dinner," Danielle said, gratefully. She had to keep herself from hugging the Laurel family because, despite Nathan's warning, they'd all been wonderful to her, "Bye, Nate!"

As she walked down the street, toward her tree-house, Dani heard coughing.

"Stupid machine," an old man grumbled as he shoveled, it seemed his snow-blower had stopped working halfway through the job.

"Here, let me," she offered.

"No, go home, girl, you haven't even got a coat," he shook his head and repeated, "Go home."

"Sir, I have a high tolerance for cold," she informed him, "I just want to help."

He frowned, but reluctantly handed over the shovel and went inside. The teen worked hard and soon the work was completed. Using her powers, she put the snow-blower in his garage and the shovel on his porch with a note explaining where the blower was, and went back to her tree- house.

For a week, Danielle returned every day to do chores for the old man, whom she found out was called Mr. Morter, from shoveling snow to walking his dog, Sheila. Every day, Mr. Morter tried to pay her for all she did, and every day, she refused it.

On the last night of that week, while Danielle slept deeply in her tree-house, a little green puppy with a black spiked collar dug his way into Mr. Morter's house.

The puppy, known only as Cujo, possessed Sheila and whined for a walk.

"Calm down, Sheila, I'm comin'," he grumbled, grabbing the leash after getting dressed.

When they got outside, Mr. Morter turned to go their usual route and was surprised when the dog tugged him in the other direction. Shrugging, he followed Sheila into the nearby woods, where she scratched and whined at the base of a tree.

Frowning, he tugged at her leash to head back home, but she growled and pulled back with surprising strength.

"What's wrong with you?" he questioned, but looked up into the tree, expecting to see a squirrel. He was surprised to see, not a squirrel, but a tree-house.

……………

A/N: What did you think of Danielle and Nathan's friendship? Did it make sense that Danielle didn't know much of the Guys in White? Will it lead to something? And what of Mr. Morter and his dog and Cujo? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!


	9. The Burden

A/N: Time to read!

Disclaimed.

……Casper High, Amity Park……

"It's official, he's lost it," Sam commented while she and Tucker watched Danny head toward Nathan.

"Why _is _he asking Valerie's stalker about Danielle?" the techno-geek questioned, thinking Danny had been thrown into a building one-too-many times.

"Oh, it's not just _that_ Nathan, it's _every _Nathan," the Goth expressed.

"In school?" Tucker inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"In _town,_" she emphasized.

"Yeah, he's lost it," he agreed, dryly, "So why _Nathans?_"

"I'm not exactly sure," Sam admitted, "He just said he had a really strong feeling that there was a connection."

……Mr. Morter's house, morning……

Danielle rolled over, at once noticing that she was warm and on a mattress. Her eyes snapped open.

Cautiously, she looked at her surroundings. It was a small room, but pretty and light. The walls were painted a soft orange and on the wall opposite to her were two bookshelves filled with books. To her right was a window with a nice blue curtain and to her left, next to the door, was a little green puppy with black ears and a spiked collar.

At first, she was terrified that Vlad had caught her, but the comfortable room had no hint of the Green Bay Packers. The ghostly pup confused her, but he looked harmless.

There was a knock at the door.

"Er…come in," she called, unsure of what else to do.

"Danielle," Mr. Morter greeted, relief flooding his face, "You had me scared when I found you in that tree-house. You wouldn't wake up, so I brought you here."

"This-this is you house?" she looked around again as if not believing it.

He nodded, "Now, I don't want you going back to that tree-house…it's too cold and not very sturdy. It was only because this strange dog- he took over Sheila- led me there that I found you. Do you recognize him? All I could find on his collar was a strange symbol and the name Cujo."

"All I know is that he's a ghost dog D-a friend adopted," the girl stumbled. She had learned about Cujo when she'd met Danny.

"A ghost dog, eh? Well, I guess we are pretty close to Amity Park," Mr. Morter mused. Dani looked up, mildly surprised that he knew _and_ believed what happened there…so few did.

"Can," she began, "Can you tell me what's going on there?"

"There haven't been as many ghost attacks lately; it seems that Danny Phantom feller's been doing a good job keeping them away," the old man smiled, curiously, "You know someone in Amity?"

"Yeah, a good friend…." she trailed off thoughtfully, "I should get going…"

"Young lady, were you not listening? You're not going back to that tree-house; it's not safe!" he reminded her.

"But-!" she protested.

"No, I'm not letting you get sick," Mr. Morter told her sternly. She sighed and slouched, but decided not to push it.

"Thank you," she smiled, gratefully.

"You're a good kid, Danielle," he complimented her, "Not many people would stop and help an old man with his chores without expecting something in return.

"I just wanted to help," Danielle bit her lip, "Another thing my friend gave me: a need to help others."

Mr. Morter smiled.

"Mr. Morter? Whose room is this?" she asked.

"It was my daughter's," he answered, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Oh, well, where is she? Won't she be mad that I'm sleeping in her room?" the girl worried, clueless to the sadness. It was just another thing she'd inherited from Danny.

"I don't imagine she would," the man told her, "since she hasn't visited me in five years."

"Oh, Mr. Morter, I'm sorry."

He shook his head, "Don't be, she lives in California. She's very busy, and very _happy_, which is all I ever wanted for her."

Danielle smiled, relieved.

Mr. Morter stood, "Now, I think we've been chatting long enough, time for breakfast!"

Cujo yipped happily and dug his way back home.

The next day was Thanksgiving and, since it was just the two of them, they had turkey sandwiches, microwave stuffing, and French fries. They talked for a long time, glad not to be alone on the holiday. If only the happiness could have lasted into the night.

It had been over a week since Danielle had had a nightmare, because she always worked so hard that she couldn't dream, but Mr. Morter had insisted that she take the day off and that night, her screams disrupted the silence.

Alarmed, Mr. Morter ran to her room holding a hand over his heart to find the teen sitting up and crying into her knees.

"Sh. Sh. Shh, it's alright," he calmed her, rubbing her back as he had done for his own daughter.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she sobbed, trying to pull herself together.

"It's okay; we can't always control our nightmares," he comforted her.

She squeezed her eyes shut but almost immediately opened them; Plasmius was still there, "I don't know what's wrong with me, I haven't woken up like that for a long time…"

Her old friend, so much like a grandfather, listened quietly.

"…Maybe it's because…I'm afraid that I'll never…never have a chance at my dreams…" she trailed off into a whisper thoughtfully.

"If that's the case, then listen to me," he told her, "Dreams are like stars, my young friend, you may never touch them…"

She looked down sadly.

"…but if you follow them, they will lead you to your destiny," he finished, kindly. She smiled up at him.

The following week was the happiest that Danielle had ever had: she had a home, good friends, and she was _learning_. Every day, she would go to the school and hide in the bushes by the window with her old sleeping bag wrapped around her shoulders and go to Nate's house to study until dinner when she walked home to Mr. Morter's house. The only thing that got in the way of her complete contentment was that she caught a cold near the end of the week.

That last day, Danielle returned to the house a little later than usual. When she didn't see Mr. Morter in the kitchen, where he normally was when she got back, she searched the house until she found him…

He was lying on the floor in the hall, gasping for breath and clutching at his heart in pain….a heart attack.

"Mr. Morter!" she screamed, running to his side.

"Danielle," he choked out.

Scared, she ran for the phone and called 911. When she returned, he was gone…

She stayed by him for what felt like hours, but in reality was only minutes, shaking his shoulders crying, pleading for him to _come back._

When it finally got through to her that he _wasn't_ coming back and that she'd _never _see his smile again, she ran away, to where, she didn't know nor did she care, she just had to get _away_.

As she flew, she heard the wail of sirens as the ambulance finally arrived.

The EMTs rushed into the house and immediately set to work with C.P.R. and, eventually, the portable defibrillator pads to jump-start his heart.

Danielle shivered as she landed and ran down the street as a human, _I should never have stayed there! It's all my _fault_!_

It wasn't until three days later that Mr. Morter awoke in the hospital to see his daughter and her family; she'd been called when he'd been brought in. He went back to sleep.

"_Achoo!_" Dani sneezed, but she did not stop, did not rest for more than a few hours. She had no idea where she was, only that it wasn't far enough.

"Alice?" Mr. Morter inquired, quietly…she hadn't spoken to him in so long, because he hadn't trusted her fiancé. He looked around as though he expected to see another face mixed in with his family, "Where's Danielle?"

"Dad?" Alice looked puzzled and a little concerned, "Who's Danielle?"

"Danielle! _Danielle! _The girl! _Where is Danielle?_" he raved, crazed with worry.

Alice bit her lip and looked away, trying not to cry.

Danielle shivered as the cold air touched her midriff, left bare in her Phantom form, but did not slow down. She concentrated on dodging the Christmas decorations, forgetting that she didn't have to. She still didn't know where she was heading, but did not ask, if only to protect those she met…

She braced herself against the cold that seemed to run through her veins and kept going.

"Mr. Morter," Nathan told him, sadly, "I've been trying to find Danielle, but…"

"There really was a Danielle?" his daughter voiced, entering the room. She seemed to be relieved by the news.

Mr. Morter nodded, "She called the ambulance."

Alice put her hand over his, "Dad…are you sure? The EMTs said there was no sign…Do you think she was an angel?"

Mr. Morter was quiet, looking at the guardian angel pin his daughter was wearing and almost believed that she was. He clasped his daughter's hand in his and smiled sadly.

Danielle landed and transformed in the alley.

"Where am I?" she asked aloud. Her lips were blue and she was cold and tired, but the place felt familiar.

Shivering uncontrollably, she stepped forward and stumbled behind the dumpster. She moaned, falling against the alley wall.

Cold and exhausted, she tried to walk again only to fall forward, but she met warm arms instead of slush and snow.

"Danielle!" the voice was distant to her.

"_Dreams are like stars, my young friend…"_

Danielle cried as she felt herself lifted into strong arms, finally voicing her grief.

Remotely, she heard a voice calling to her, much as she had to Mr. Morter nearly a week ago, "Stay with me, Danielle. _Please…_don't leave me. You're gonna be okay…I promise…"

……………

A/N: What did you think of Danny's interrogation of the Nathans? Did you like Cujo's part in this? Did you cry with Danielle? Tell me in a review, and as alwaysALOHA!

"Dreams are like stars…you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny." –unknown

P.S. If you want more, this _is_ a prequel: Read Must Be.


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